As potential corruption revealed, Albanese Government must urgently evacuate the survivors of offshore detention
The Albanese Government must immediately evacuate the 75 remaining survivors of offshore detention from Papua New Guinea and shut down its detention centres on Nauru, as it accounts for the multi-million-dollar secret payments that have propped up offshore detention over the past decade.
Investigative reports this week have revealed multi-million-dollar payments by government contractors to politicians in Papua New Guinea and Nauru. Reports suggest that these payments were made with the knowledge of the Department of Home Affairs, and even senior government figures in Australia.
It has also been revealed that the former Morrison government entered a secret deal with the Papua New Guinean Government to continue payments to provide for the 75 people left behind in PNG. This came after PNG’s Supreme Court shut down formal regional processing arrangements and the Australian Government claimed to have no ongoing involvement.
Together, these reports reveal the corruption and duplicity at the heart of offshore detention. They also raise serious questions around the Albanese Government’s continued expenditure on regional processing operations in both Nauru and PNG.
In light of these reports, the Human Rights Law Centre is calling on the Albanese Government to immediately bring the 75 people still remaining in Papua New Guinea to Australia and provide permanent safety, as a first step to ending the long-running and systematic abuse.
Farhad Bandesh, an artist and musician who was previously detained on Manus Island, said:
“In Manus Island, we saw everyday acts of corruption, exploitation and censorship that were designed to keep us detained and keep the detention camp operating. Now, we hear that this kind of corruption was likely widespread, and could have involved senior politicians and officials on both sides. This is what happens when a government creates opportunities for people to profit from the torture of other people. This is the reality of a system designed to create suffering. The only solution now is to bring all the people remaining in Papua New Guinea to safety, and shut down this system once and for all.”
Mehrdad, an engineer who was previously detained on Manus Island, said:
“I was detained for years on Manus, attacked in the riots that cost Reza Berati his life. Australian-funded contractors were allowed to attack and kill us – Australian tax dollars paid for what was done to me. I have friends from that time who are still stuck in PNG. Before a Royal Commission or any investigation, the government’s first responsibility is to bring everyone to safety.”
Sanmati Verma, Managing Lawyer at the Human Rights Law Centre said:
“This is the reality of offshore detention – it is a system built on interfering in neighbouring countries for the profit of multi-national companies and political elites, both in Australia and the Pacific. The Albanese Government cannot talk about integrity while it persists with a policy that is pervaded by potential corruption and has resulted in multiple deaths and the permanent separation of families.
“Public accountability for this grave, decade-long travesty must start with bringing the last 75 people stuck in PNG to safety and extending permanent pathways to everyone subjected to offshore detention. Nothing less will do.”
Media Contact:
Thomas Feng
Media and Communications Manager
Human Rights Law Centre
0431 285 275
thomas.feng@hrlc.org.au